Alex Jones pays tribute to The One Show co-host Matt Baker after he quits the show

ALEX Jones has paid tribute to her The One Show co-host Matt Baker as he quits the show after nine years.

The Welsh presenter, 42, said she would miss her long-standing TV partner and admitted he would be hard to replace in a heartfelt post.

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She wrote: “I would like to say how much I will miss #MattBaker.

"Thank you for sitting by my side for the last 9 years. You are a superb broadcaster, a consummate professional + a dear friend.

“We’ll remain part of each other lives but the gap left on the green sofa will be hard to fill x.”

Matt has worked alongside Alex on the sofa since he joined in 2011.

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Yesterday Matt, 41, announced he was leaving during the instalment of the BBC One programme.

Struggling to contain his tears, he told viewers: "At this time of year, I like to take stock and reflect. The One Show has been a massive part of my life for almost a decade now and I have loved every second of being a part of it. But I am going to be leaving this green sofa in the spring.

"It's time to give someone else the opportunity to see how big hearted you, our One Show viewers, really are.

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"It's something I get to witness every year. You help to change the lives of so many vulnerable youngsters for Children In Need.

"All that support you show us, you will never really understand how much that means to me.

"And so, I'd like to thank you, and I'd like to pay a huge tribute to those who have written in over the last nine years.

"Of course, I'd like to thank Alex [Jones], who I've shared the sofa with all these years. And the teams of people who work on this show all around the UK.

"The ones you don't get to see, the researchers, the producers, the studio crew, everyone who  makes this show feel like a massive, massive family.

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"I'm going to miss you all and I thank you all from the bottom of my heart."

He later released a statement, assuring fans he would be leaving the BBC: "I've loved that The One Show has been such a big part of my life for the last nine years.

"It's been brilliant to showcase the eclectic mix of Britain, meet incredible people along the way and witness so many lives changed with the annual Rickshaw Challenge for Children In Need.

"I'd like to thank all those I've worked with over the years and especially you the viewer for showing me so much support during my time on the green sofa.

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"I'm continuing with Countryfile and BBC Sport and excited about other opportunities that come my way but most of all I'm looking forward to having dinner with my family and being able to put my kids to bed."

Matt joined The One Show as a guest presenter from May to August 2010, standing in for Jason Manford, before taking over as a permanent host.

Before The One Show, he worked as a presenter on Blue Peter, from 1999 to 2006. He worked alongside Konnie Huq, Zoe Salmon and Gethin Jones and won two Baftas for Best Children's Presenter two years in a row as well as a Royal Television Society award.

Matt joined the Countryfile team, first as a presenter for Countryfile Summer Diaries on weekday mornings on BBC One before co-presenting the evening show.